Grandmother's message of thanks after battling back from house fire, two strokes and heart failure

Amanda Bates lost everything in the blaze at her home on October 10, 2019, and was forced to rely on the generosity of family and friends to get her through the difficult time.

The fire which tore through the upstairs of her house on Leamington Parade in the town left the 45-year-old with just the clothes on her back.

And the disaster came in the same year that Amanda suffered her second stroke on January 29, 2019, having battled back from her first stroke in 2017.

The grandmother-of-three was also diagnosed with heart failure three years ago in March 2016 after noticing her legs and feet began to swell.

She spent 10 days in the University Hospital of North Tees where she was told she had the condition.

Now on medication for the rest of her life, Amanda struggles with mobility and is unable to work.

But her luck is now starting to take a turn for the better and the mum-of-three is getting set to move into her new flat on Derwent Close in Seaham in the New Year.

After receiving the good news, Amanda took to Facebook group Seaham Have Your Say to ask if anyone had any old items they could donate to help her start over again.

Appealing for the likes of old televisions and bedside tables, Amanda was left feeling overwhelmed by the dozens of messages offering what they had to spare.

The former Asda worker said: “The fire started around 2.45pm on October 10 and I lost all the contents of my house.

“The upstairs was obliterated by the flames, the windows blew out and the downstairs was water-damaged.

“Since then I have been staying with family in Seaham but now I have been given a flat on Derwent Close and am about to move in.

“The fire took everything I had so I put out an appeal on Facebook to see if anybody had anything spare and have been given a TV cabinet, a big TV and a little TV, two beside cabinets and a carpet and curtains.”

And the good news came just days after Amanda welcomed two new grandsons into the family – Hugo Bates on Boxing Day and Rio Bates on November 23.

Thanking the community for their donations, Amanda continued: “I didn’t think they was such kindness out there, I really didn’t.

“I had worked all my life until I became unwell so I have never had to do anything like that before.

“So I want to say thank you so much to people who have helped – particularly Geordie Fidler, Violet Malt and Ruth Bowie for their donations.

“It is going to make a big difference.”